A U.S. national who attempted to traffic cocaine from Alabama to Saudi Arabia by ingesting multiple drug pellets is recovering at a Nairobi hospital under police watch after suffering severe abdominal complications, authorities said.
The suspect was admitted on Sunday, February 16, after a friend took him to the hospital due to symptoms of excessive drugging. A doctor at the facility alerted anti-narcotics detectives from the DCI Headquarters, who arrived to witness an endoscopy procedure.
During the examination, three pellets of cocaine were retrieved from the suspect’s rectum, testing positive for the drug and weighing 57.98 grams, with an estimated value of Sh1 million. Police confirmed that an additional pellet was lodged in his small intestine, with efforts underway to remove it safely.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had been staying at a short-term rental in Nairobi’s Westlands area and was scheduled to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa on the day he fell ill. His travel and personal documents have been seized pending his recovery, after which he will face drug trafficking charges.
Authorities are probing whether the drugs were meant for sale or personal use and if the suspect had local accomplices. He could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
In a separate operation, anti-narcotics officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport seized suspected amphetamines hidden inside 10 large candles in a shipment from Bujumbura, Burundi, destined for Australia. The discovery was made during a routine cargo verification, with tests confirming the presence of the highly addictive substance.
The shipment was confiscated as investigators work to identify and apprehend those behind the trafficking operation. Police suspect the intended recipients were in Bujumbura and have engaged authorities in Burundi to track them down.
Law enforcement reports indicate a decline in drug trafficking cases due to increased security measures, with traffickers now avoiding airports for their illicit operations.
